


A TALE OF MAGIC AND DECEIT

by S1trus_00



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Friendship, LGBTQ Character, Magic, Protective Siblings, Siblings, Slow Romance, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23530273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S1trus_00/pseuds/S1trus_00
Summary: Sixteen year old Tabatha Greene wants nothing more than to go on an adventure. She and her best friend, Bayou, spent most of their spare time making up stories of lost princesses and kidnapped princes. They spent evenings on the roof planning the day they would leave their town of Lilly Grove to see the world. Tabatha promised herself that when she turned eighteen, they'd travel the world. Turns out, she can't wait that long.Then, one day, while walking with her friends on the beach, Tabatha stumbles upon two boys. Suddenly these other-worldly boys are  living with her Grammy, the town crazy. Suddenly, Tabatha is presented with an opportunity to go on an adventure of a life time.Joined by her best friends, Grammy and the magical boys, she journeys to the Elf kingdom of Eliracyla. To save the kingdom and it's people from darkness and destruction. But how much can a group of teens really do when faced with a immortal enemy, equipped with powers beyond any of them could have imagined?They'll have to figure it out as they go, to save everything.





	1. TABATHA

The girl was sitting on the roof, looking out at the shimmering waters of Lilly Grove. She had lived her entire life in the small island town, waiting for an adventure to carry her out of the boring life she led. How was it possible that she had spent all sixteen years of her life in a boring town, doing boring things with boring people? Every birthday since she was little, she had wished for magical princes, and fire breathing dragons, and princesses with flowing golden hair, and witches, and fairies, and elves. She wished every year for an adventure. And every year without fail, she got none of that. Instead she got Lilly Grove. A town where everyone knew everyone and secrets were never secrets for long. A town where the most exciting thing is Bingo.  
She refused to let the most exciting thing in her life be Goddamned bingo. She stood up, dusting off her worn out jeans. She walked back towards her window, and crawled in. Her room was simple, white walls, white bed sheets, white furniture. White on white on white. Boring. Running a hand through her waist length black hair, she pulled a hoodie off of the floor and walked out of her room. She walked downstairs and went for the backdoor, passing a plate of cookies cooling on the marble counter. She stopped and walked backwards, grabbing a still warm cookie from the tray. She bit into it and let out a sigh, it was delicious. Oatmeal chocolate chip, her favourite. She put the cookie in her mouth and rummaged around for a plastic baggie. Once she located the bag, she put a couple of the cookies in and shoved them into her pocket. She finished her cookies and continued on her way out.  
Her bike was where she left it, discarded in the lawn. She righted in and swung her leg over, sitting on the seat. She turned to look at her house, the living room light was on. Her parents were watching the evening news, not paying any attention to her. She pushed off the dewey grass and turned onto the road. She pedaled as fast as she could before lifting her feet up and letting her hair flow in the wind. She smiled up to the stars. She turned left onto Avenue road, riding past the identical houses, with identical yards and identical families. If you lived on Avenue road, you were rich enough to hire nannies and had pools in your backyards. She stopped in front of one of these houses and dropped her bike on the front lawn. She looked up at the house, it was painted yellow, with white shutters. Yellow daffodils and white lilies filled the flower boxes, there was a faded welcome mat at the front door and an overflowing mailbox. There was an echo of laughter from inside that made the girl smile. She walked up to the front door and knocked, stepping back waiting for the door to swing open. When it did open, a beautiful woman stood there, hand on her hip, a floral apron over her paint-splattered overalls. Her neck carried a string of pearls, her eyes wore bright blue eyeshadow, her lips were a flattering pink. There was a smudge of flour on her umber cheek, and in her wild afro. Her face was stern, but loving.  
“Miss Tabatha.” she said, “how many times have I told you not to knock! Child, I swear. You’re practically family! Wait, no, not practically. You are.”  
“Sorry Miss Lorraine.”  
“You better be. And if I ever see you knock on my door again, God help you.” she welcomed Tabatha in with a warm hug, planting a pink kiss on her cheek. “We’re just making cookies.”  
“Oh, I brought cookies!” Tabatha laughed, moving to the kitchen where her best friend Bayou squatted in front of the oven watching the cookies bake. “That won't make them bake faster, Bay.”  
“Oh! Tabby!” Bayou exclaimed, jumping from his spot to hug her. He wiped his mother's lipstick off her cheek and shook his head, “Mama sure loves putting her lipstick on people.”  
Tabatha smiled and pulled the baggie of cookies out of her pockets, “will this help while those bake?”  
“Oh yes! Mama Alison pulled through!” Bayou cried, raising the baggie above his head like a first place trophy. Everyone in the kitchen laughed.  
“Heya, Tabs.” Bayou’s father said, putting a hand on her head.  
“Hey, Mr. Joe.” she said, shooting him a big smile. She looked around the kitchen, “where’s Mabel?”  
“On a date.” Bayou said through a bite of cookie, “with the one, the only… The mister Owen McConner. Dun dun dun!”  
“No fucking way!” Tabatha gawked, completely taken aback.  
“Language!” Miss Lorraine called from the living room, where she and Mr. Joe sat on the couch, reading the paper.  
“Sorry, I mean, ‘no freaking way!’” she called back, before lowering her voice, “how the fuck did she manage that?”  
“You know Mabel. She knows people.” Bayou shrugged, biting into another cookie, “Tabs, get the recipe for these for me, ‘kay?”  
“Ok, but, your sister, Mabel. On a date with Golden Boy Owen McConner. Didn’t she used to hate him?” Tabatha asked, passing her cookie to Bayou. She jumped onto the counter and dipped her finger into the leftover cookie dough. Plain chocolate chip. “Or, at least his Golden-ness?”  
“Yeah, she utterly despised him. I was surprised too, I mean, I think we all were. She said they got grouped for a project and he was pretty chill.” Bayou shrugged, leaning against the counter next to Tabatha. “Apparently, this isn’t their first date, either. It’s their third? I think anyways, I can’t remember.”  
“Holy shit.” Tabatha said under her breath, scooping a clump of chocolate chips out with her fingers. That’s wild.”  
“Yeah, as long as she’s happy, though.” Bayou said, his eyes back on the oven.  
“No, of course. That’s just weird.”  
“Tell me about it.” Bayou laughed, pushing his curls out of his face. Soon, Tabatha and Bayou had settled into a comfortable silence.  
They had met in kindergarten, and hated each other instantly. Bayou stole her purple crayon, and she stole his stop at nap-time. This rivalry lasted all the way to the fifth grade, when they were faced with a common enemy. Priscilla Pacilio. She was evil. And they both hated her. She stole Bayou’s 48 crayon pack from his bag during math and Tabatha’s fuzzy bunny socks after swim class. Those were the most memorable. She also made Tabatha’s life hell. She would push her down the slide at recess and throw wood chips and dirt at her. One day, after church, when Tabatha was all dressed up in white, Priscilla pushed her into a puddle of muddy water. Tabatha got in trouble, while Pricilla walked away smirking. That was the last straw. The next day at school, Tabatha walked up to Bayou and presented her plan. Bayou agreed instantly, and operation Get Priscilla In Trouble was a go. The plan didn’t actually work, but they became best friends, so it was a win in their eyes.  
“So…” Bayou started, jerking Tabatha’s sleeve to get her attention. “What’s the story with your love life?” Tabatha snorted,  
“You mean my non-existent love life?” Bayou shook his head,  
“What happened to what's-his-name? Started with a ‘C’? Charlie?…no… Chris?... Conner?.... Help me out here, would you?” he said, trying desperately to remember the guy's name. Tabatha rolled her eyes,  
“Are you talking about Kurtis?” Bayou snapped his fingers,  
“Yes!”  
“There’s no ‘C’, dumbass. It’s ‘K’.” she giggled,  
“Same thing.” Bayou shrugged. “They sound the same.”  
“I guess.” Tabatha said at the same time the phone rang. Miss Lorrain picked it up from the couch,  
“Hello… oh, hi Alison….uh huh… oh, I see….yeah, she’s here…..okay, I’ll let her know. Bye bye now.” she said, Tabatha cringed and swore under her breath. “Tabatha, I know you heard that, and I know you know what she said. So, you know what you need to do.”  
“Yeah, I know Miss Lorraine.” Tabatha said, sliding off the counter. Bayou laughed,  
“You snuck out, huh?” laughing more at Tabatha’s nod.  
“Oh shut up.” she sulked, walking to the front door. “Bye Miss Lorrain, bye Mr. Joe.”  
“Bye honey.” Miss Lorraine said, “see you later.”  
“See you.” Mr. Joe said, flipping the page in his paper. Bayou walked her to the door and gave her a hug before she opened the door,  
“Stay Golden, Ponyboy.” he said, referencing their favourite book. Tabatha gave him a limp salute and hoisted her bike up from the grass. She walked home as slow as she could, stopping to look at every flower or rock or pothole she passed. When she was a block from home, she sat on the curb, under the streetlamp and pulled a pack of cigs from her pocket. She put one in her mouth and lit it. She knew it was a nasty habit. She knew she was breaking her promise to quit. But it was keeping her longer from home, and for that she was grateful. It’s not that her family was terrible, or that her parents hurt her. She had a totally mundane family. With totally normal routines, and traditions. And that was the problem. Bayou’s mother was an artist, her paintings lined the walls of their home. The walls were painted crazy colours, Bayou had a mural in his room. It was abstract and crazy, and not really of anything, but it was beautiful. His father was a fisherman, but he was also a singer, and sang opera for them at Christmas. If you were lucky enough to be at their house at 7:45 a.m when he took his shower, you would be able to hear him sing. And it was marvellous. Mabel was a potter, and had a pottery wheel in the backyard shed. And her Bayou, he made the most beautiful and delicious baked goods. Every year, since the sixth grade, when he started baking, he made her a cake. It was the highlight of the year.  
And her family? Her mother was a librarian. Her father sold cars. And her brother worked in a grocery store. And while there was nothing wrong with what they did, and their jobs did provide a good, stable life for her. There was nothing exciting. Nothing artistic. They were bland, and boring. They were the poster children for an all American family. No messes. Those were the rules. No painting, no spontaneous after-midnight baking endeavors, no outrageously bright colours on the walls. Apparently, white came in different shades, and everyone of those shades was in the Greene house. The only colour her mother allowed was outside. Flowers, trees, bushes, those sorts of things. Her house was a vacuum, and it was sucking the colour from her world.  
Tabatha took one last long drag on her cigarette and put it out on the concrete. She sucked in a breath and slowly stood up, making her way home. When she reached the front steps, her mother sat on the porch swing in her baby blue bathrobe, a white afghan thrown over her legs, a cup of what Tabatha assumed to be tea in her hands. She was staring at the swirls of steam, her eyes snapped up when she heard Tabatha’s feet on the wood steps. They stared at each other for a moment before her mother patted the seat next to her,  
“Come, sit.” she said, calmly. Tabatha knew this voice. It was the calm before the storm. Her mother would be calm, cool, collected. She would talk about the dangers of being out so late, even if she was just at Bayou’s. She would lecture Tabatha on respect, and responsibility. She would go on and on about how worried they were when they realized she wasn’t home. “Tabatha, we were worried. Your father went to say goodnight to you, and you weren’t there. We know, you’re a young adult, and you want to come and go as you please. But we are responsible for you, and if anything happened, we’d be beyond devastated. We give you rules, and curfews, and boundaries for your own good. We only want the best for you, and this happens way too much, Tabatha.”  
“I know, Mom.” Tabatha sighed, leaning her head on her mom’s shoulder.  
“Right, you always say that, but we are again in this situation, Tabatha.” her mother said, bringing the cup to her lips. “You’ll have to deal with the consequences, now.”  
“Yeah, I know.”  
“Let me ask you something.” this was new. Their usual routine never had this part. Tabatha sat up straight and faced her mother, bewildered,  
“Ok?” she said, now genuinely curious.  
“Why do you do it?” her mother said, taking Tabatha’s lead and facing her daughter.  
“What? Sneak out?” her mother nodded, and Tabatha shrugged, “the house is so draining. White, upon white, upon white, upon white, upon beige. There’s no colour. I can’t make something if you’re not there. I’m not allowed to paint, even on a canvas. Everything is bland.”  
“Bland?” her mother said, blinking, “I think our home is lovely.”  
“It’s lovely, Mom. If it were a showhouse. Sometimes it feels like nobody lives here. When you and Dad and Liam are all gone, and it’s just me, the house is so empty. Completely devoid of life. Like the movies where people just go missing, and everything's the same, like it’s stuck in time.” Tabatha sighed, “even my room’s on display.”  
“Oh.” her mother said, looking back at her cup. “I see. So you’d rather be at Bayou’s, where they aren’t on ‘display’” finger quotes around display. Tabatha laughed, a humorless laugh. She was tired, and empty. She stood up, and made her way into the house,  
“Sure, Mom.” she said at the doorway. She heard her mother mutter something under her breath as she pushed the, white door (shocking) open and walked into the entrance. Her father sat in the living room, standing when he heard the door open. This was the storm.  
“Tabatha, or should I call you ‘Your Highness’? Since you seem to think you rule this house.” her father boomed, marching over to her. Tabatha sighed and walked over to the stairs,  
“If you want, though I bet that was sarcasm. Huh?” she said, emotionless.  
“You’re damn right it was sarcasm! Come down here, now!” He yelled as she walked away, unbothered by him. She made it to the upstairs hallway before he stomped up the stairs, her mother on his heels. He was red and practically seizing with anger. “Young lady, I was not done talking to you.”  
“Good for you. I’m done talking to you, though.” Tabatha said, dryly. She walked to the bathroom, to brush her teeth.  
“Can you believe the disrespect, Alison?” her father asked incredulously. Tabatha couldn’t see him, but she knew what he looked like. His mouth was slack, his eyes were wild with rage. She heard her mother say something quietly. He replied, his voice matched to her quiet softness. After a moment, there was a gentle knock at the door. Tabatha rinsed her mouth and opened the door, swiping her hand on the back of her mouth. “Your… Your mother told me what you said outside. I’m still mad you snuck out. I’m sure we can work something out...art-wise.”  
“Wh-what?” Tabatha stuttered, shocked was one word for how she felt, though it didn’t completely match the surge of emotions that ran through her. This night was full of surprises and new parts of their routine.  
“You heard me. Goodnight.” her father said, turning away, and walking back downstairs. Tabatha looked at her mother who gave her a small smile,  
“Night, baby.” she said, before following her husband downstairs. Tabatha stood in the bathroom for a full minute before walking to her bedroom. Was this a dream? Was this some sort of crazy acid trip? Had her parents been abducted by aliens and replaced with aliens in their human shells? Were they on drugs? Or a little drunk?  
“That was weird.” Tabatha spun around to see her brother, Liam, leaned against her door frame.  
“I know. I’m a little fucked up now.” Tabatha laughed, rubbing her face. Liam laughed,  
“Yeah. How was your expedition?” Liam asked, sitting down on her bed.  
“Good, Mabel’s on a date. And guess with who.” she said, pulling off her hoodie and throwing it on the floor. She flopped onto her bed, looking up at the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars she stuck up there when she was ten.  
“I don’t know, Tabs. Fucking Vinny Pacilio?” Liam said, closing his eyes and laying down next to her.  
“Fucking Owen McConner.”  
“Fuck off.” Liam laughed, “you’re joking.”  
“I’m not. According to Bayou, it’s their third date.” Liam bolted up, grabbing Tabatha’s arm.  
“Jesus fucking Christ!” he laughed, Tabatha joined him and nodded,  
“Exactly.”  
“I have to call Peter!” Tabatha bolted upright at Peter’s name. Peter Weiss, awkward, goofy, shy Peter Weiss had been in love with Mabel since the first grade. He had held out hope she would someday love him back, and they’d live out the Lilly Grove dream. He was also Liam’s best friend.  
“Don’t you dare!” Tabatha whispered, “it would kill him! Think about it, Liam, she’s hated him since middle school, and now suddenly they're going out? That would break his poor, fragile heart. He’s already watched her get with so many guys. But for her to get with fucking Owen McConner?”  
“Fuck… you’re right. But, Tabs, he’s going to find out. Sooner or later he will. When they go public.” Liam reasoned, pushing his fingers through his hair.  
“Yeah, let it happen then. Not from his best friend. Not tonight.”  
“Fine.” Liam sighed, pushing himself off of her bed. “Goodnight, Tabby.”  
“Night, Liam.” then she was alone. In her too white room, with her dreams and that itch, that never seemed to go away. She went over to her window and opened it, she slid onto the roof and looked out on her small world. She looked at the dark waters that matched the dark sky, star for star. She looked at the beach, scattered with bonfires, and drunk teens, and docked boats. She looked at the deep green trees that surrounded her like a mother’s warm embrace. She looked at the quiet houses and the dark windows. A chill ran through her, goosebumps raised on her arms and she shivered.  
“God,” she said aimlessly into the dark, not even sure if there was a God. “please don’t let me die here. I’ll do anything, literally anything. Just don’t let me die in fucking Lilly Grove.”


	2. ALAE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the second main character, Alae as he travels from Eliracyla to the human realm for help.

His mission was simple. Leave Eliraclya and bring help. The future of his kingdom depended on it. He needed skilled warriors, people who had spent millenia mastering their weapon. He watched himself in the mirror as his sister tied the breastplate to his chest. His sword was tied to his waist and his quiver to his back. He sucked in a shaky breath, what if he couldn't find anyone? What happened if he returned to Eliraclya alone, he would be the most disappointing thing to happen since the uprising. If he couldn't come back with an army, he wouldn't come back at all. That was the only way he could save his family from embarrassment and dishonor. His family was close with the king, he was even betrothed to the princess! If he succeeded, his wedding would commence, and he would become crown prince, future king of Eliraclya. So why did his heart feel heavy? Why did he almost wish he never returned? Why in the deepest parts of him hope he failed? He wanted to save his kingdom, he just didn't want to be king.

"Alae." his father called from outside, "come here, son."

"Yes Father." he said, adjusting his belt. He picked up his bow and walked outside. The bright sunlight was jolting at first, but within a few seconds he had adjusted. His father was a proud man, he stood with his head held high, his sword on his hip. Alae knew his father had never really been proud of him, not until the king announced he'd be travelling to the humans. Alae remembers that day, with vivid memory. He remembers being in shock, and turning to his father. He remembers a smile, awkward and unused for sometime, but a smile nonetheless. He put a hand on Alae's shoulder and gave him a small shake, in the way he would with his army friends, or the king himself. Alae remembers a starburst of pride and happiness, and something else, something he couldn't put his finger on.

"You've been given a very special task, Alae." his father said, staring off into the distance. Alae shifted, uncomfortably,

"Yes Father."

"If you fail, the kingdom will fall. You understand this,don't you?" Alae looked at his father and nodded, how could he forget? It was all he heard for the month leading up to this day.

"I understand." he said, realizing his father wasn't looking at him. He looked at his feet, feeling like a small child pining for his father's approval.

"So, you mustn't fail. King Braern is counting on you."

"Yes Father." Alae said, fidgeting with his belt. This was the longest they had spoken to each other. His father waved him away, clearly satisfied with the conversation. Alae walked away, more nervous than before. He rejoined his sister in the house and collapsed into her arms, on the verge of tears. He refused to cry, especially because of his father.

"There, there." she soothed, patting his head like a child. "You must leave soon, Alae. You must walk out of this house with your head held high, you mustn't let them see your fear. The men will not follow you if you're scared."

"I'm not scared, Elyssa. I'm tired." he chuckled, lying through his teeth. She knew this, but she said nothing. He pulled away from his sister's loving embrace. She scoffed and playfully punched his shoulder,

"Obviously, you stayed out until dawn." she teased, ushering him to a seat to rebraid his hair. Elyssa quietly unravelled his braid and brushed out his locks of black hair, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, one last time before what was sure to be a stressful journey.

"When you succeed," Elyssa started, "You finally will be married to the princess."

"I don't want to be married to the princess." Alae replied, opening his eyes. As soon as he said the words, he cringed, biting his tongue.

"No, you'd much rather marry the prince." Elyssa jested, unknowingly. Alae didn't respond, instead he thought subjects to change to, something other than his romantic preferences. He closed his eyes, smiling a little before replying

"Bellas will be joining me." Elyssa's hands stilled for a moment before sectioning his hair. He knew it was wrong to bring up her former love, but it was better than him telling about how he would much rather marry the prince.

"Oh?" was all she said. She tried to be unbothered, but Alae knew his sister enough to know she was still hurt. Alae felt bad, she had loved him for so long, and he had hurt her.

"King's orders." Alae shrugged. That was a lie, Alae had asked Bellas to come. They had done everything together, so it was only right they do this together. Elyssa sighed,

"Well, it doesn't matter." she said, finishing the plait. "What matters is you find help."

"But what if I can't? Nobody has left Eliracyla in maybe six hundred years, what if the humans have changed? What if they have forgotten we exist?" Alae allowed his fears to roll out of his mouth.

"You can't think like that, Alae." Elyssa said sternly, busying herself with packing his things, "You must think positively."

"I'll try, sister." Alae sighed, standing and helping his sister. They worked in silence, a thick air forming around them. This might be the last time they saw each other. Anything could happen. Six hundred years is a long time, in human time at least. Alae looked at his sister, and opened his mouth. He didn't know what he wanted to say, but he wanted to say something. He wanted to tell her every secret he had. He wanted to blurt everything out there. He wanted her to know. She knew everything about him. Except two things. Alae closed his mouth and took a deep breath. He would tell her when he came back. If he came back.

"It's time to go." Alae's father said from the doorway. Alae looked up and nodded solemnly. He took his things from his sister, and with one last hug, he left their home. He stopped by his father and nodded, getting a pat on the back. Alae pushed forward, walking to where his horse and his men were, all waiting for him to lead them into the otherworld. Bellas was there, mounted on his horse. Alae mounted his steed and took one last look at home. His sister stood at the threshold, her hands pressed to her chest. Their father stood sternly, unwavering, as he had done since their mother passed away. Alae lifted his hand and touched two of his fingers to his mouth and then to the sky. With that he rode away, his men following.

******

Alae sat by the fire, his sword in his hands, the steel reflecting the orange flames. He sat alone, all his men asleep. Under the night sky, he let his thoughts be free. He imagined his life when he came back, army in lieu, ready to fight. He would be a hero, the people would chant his name as they rode up to the castle. His father would be proud and boast to his friends about his son. The princess would be his bride, and they'd be the crown prince and princess. When the king died, they would take his place. And their oldest would take their place. Not that he wanted to have children with her. He had to. It would become his duty. And what a dreaded duty it would be. The forest breathed around their camp, it called for Alae. It called for his return. For as long as he could remember, Alae loved the forest. He loved running through the trees with Bellas, he loved climbing and swimming and hunting and gathering. He loved the freedom the woods provided. He was born with greatness in mind, his whole life was planned by the time of his second summer. He was to serve the king, bringing honour and salvation. He was to marry the king's daughter, Tyria. He was to be king one day. He didn't want any of that. He wanted to live in the forest. He wanted freedom. Elyssa was better suited to royal life. She flourished in being a lady. Being king was his destiny, but it wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted didn't matter, he had known that for as long he knew his destiny. This, though, wasn't part of his destiny. Not at first, at least.

"What are you thinking?" Bellas said, taking a seat beside Alae. Alae looked up at his closest friend and sighed, he knew he was unable to lie to him, so he settled for changing the truth,

"What if we fail?" Alae said, throwing his sword into the soft earth, making a dull thudding sound,

"Well, the king would have our heads." Bellas said, leaning onto his knees, "Or we'd be spared and die with the rest of Eliracyla when the time comes."

"Splendid." Alae said, making Bellas scoff,

"We won't fail." Bellas said, taking on a serious tone. "Everything will be fine, you're overthinking."

"Am I, though?" Alae said, looking at his friend, "Best case scenario, we find humans to help, and Eliracyla is saved. Worst case scenario, humans don't remember us, and either kill us or send us back. And then what? We die by the king's sword, and he sends out another party? And then they come back empty handed, and the cycle continues?"

"How much have humans changed? Not much, surely." Bellas said, his amber eyes reflecting the fire.

"We must only hope." Alae sighed, undoing his braid. He brushed his fingers through his smooth hair and twisted it into a bun at the nape of his neck. "We'll leave at first light."

"Alae, I think you're going to succeed." Bellas spoke, breaking the silence that had formed around them. Alae closed his eyes and leaned against a log, turning his head to the sky,

"Everyone seems to think so. I'm less sure." Alae said after a moment. It seemed the more everyone else said he would succeed the less he believed it. How could he? He knew his father was waiting for his failure, despite his pride, he was ready to be disappointed. And why did the king choose him? When Bellas was ready, egear even, to lead the mission. Alae was quiet, gentle, not ready for war. He was much smaller than his peers, shorter and slimmer. His legs were like twigs and his arms not much better. There was nothing athletic about him, his biggest asset was being able to identify deadly plants from edible. Bels on the other hand was strong, athletic, he flourished in the sparring rings. He had mastered the sword by his twelveth summer, the bow by his thirteenth and the spear by his fourteenth. He knew how to use every weapon in the king's weapons room by his nineteenth summer. Alae was learning to bake.

"Be optimistic. I'm sure Tyria will be smitten upon our return." Orris teased, nudging Alae's shoulder with his knee. Alae rolled his eyes and reached his hands to the fire,

"I don't want to marry the princess, Bellas." he said, looking at his friend. Bellas' expression fell, he looked shocked and a little hurt,

"What do you mean? Every little boy has wished to marry the princess!" he cried in a hushed whisper, as to not wake the men sleeping around them.

"I didn't." Alae shrugged, poking the fire with a stick he picked up from beside him, "she has always been my friend, but because of that... friendship, I have never thought of her as my future wife."

"That's odd." Bellas said, rubbing his face. Alae laughed and looked at his friend,

"Not to me." Alae sighed, closing his eyes. Bellas put a hand on Alae's shoulder and stood up,

"Well, for whatever reason, I don't understand. Anyway, when are we leaving?" he said,

"First light." Alae replied, tiredly. Marrying the princess sometimes seemed like his only personality trait. That was all anyone ever wanted to talk about, they never cared about his hobbies, or favourite things. When he was small, he tried to keep the news private, but his father boasted and boomed about him. Children were encouraged to associate with him, so that they had an advantage when he was king. It made Alae angry, all he wanted was to be normal. To have friends and to laugh and have fun and not be the kid who would be king. It was simply maddening. Bellas was the only one who didn't care who he was. They met in the woods, Alae was sitting by a small pond, his hands dipped into the clear waters. Bellas was running from some older boys who he had stolen something from. He saw Alae and squatted next to him, pulling his hood to cover his eyes. When the older boys emerged from the trees they just assumed Bellas had run off with their trinket. From then on, they were inseparable.

But life had a way of ruining everything beautiful. Bellas fell in love with Elyssa and they started something beautiful. Alae was forgotten, cast aside like a broken toy, or a dull sword. Then the moment Bellas stopped loving Elyssa, he came back to his friend. Alae gladly took him back, feeling his heart piece itself back together. Love was complicated and fragil, so therefore it was something Alae didn't wish for.

"I don't want to come back." he said in the dark, to no one imparticular yet to everyone he knew. He was consumed with fear, every waking moment he was scared. He wanted it all to stop. And although he wanted to succeed and bring back salvation, there was a small part of him, deep down inside him, that wanted him to run into the woods and disappear. He wanted, more than anything, to defy his fate. He wasn't strong enough for that. Not yet anyway. So, instead of taking off into the woods, he settled down on his sleeping roll and closed his eyes. He let himself dream about these things.

He was a coward, but how could he not be? There was so much to be scared of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, feel free to comment your thoughts! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave comments about how you felt about the chapter! It means a lot!


End file.
